Living in London- Beat Budget Blues

Living in London has had a reputation of being a pricey place. You can become budget conscious and still enjoy all the wonderful attractions London has to offer. You can travel, eat, be entertained at all the right places without strangling your purse strings.

If you want to travel in London in the most cost effective way you can use either the Tube or start walking. Travelling with the tube, the Oyster card can be your companion as it will give you freedom of movement that normal rates of travel tend to constrain. The other alternative to getting around London is walking; it is a simple means of getting around and getting to know the city better. As always the case, you will often stumble across some wonderful little places that you might never have found in guidebooks.

Another cost effective way of enjoying London would be food; where to eat, what to eat, and when. The first thing would be do your shopping at the main supermarkets and buy your vegetables and fruits at the farmer’s markets. If you’d rather eat out then there are a lot of two for one offers at chain and local restaurants alike. There are also all you can eat buffets if you care to do your research properly. Every year, many restaurants join up under an “’eat for a fiver” scheme.

Pubs are also prime spots for filling meals that will only cost you about £5. If it’s a pint you fancy but want to watch your pocket, the Weatherspoon chain of pubs is your kind of place. There is also Guanabara which is a Brazilian Bar and have a happy hour with cocktails, you even get a free Samba lesson after that.

And if you have some free time during the day and really do not want to spend any money at all, I would go so far as to say this city is an ideal place to be. With free entry to many art galleries (don’t miss the Tate Modern), museums (such as the Natural History Museum, the British Museum and the British Library). London’s multitude of beautiful parks (St James’ Park is home to some of the Queen’s own pelicans) and famous markets such as Portabello Road Market, you really can enjoy London on a shoestring. You may not remember what you buy, but the strangers you meet and adventures you experience will be hard to forget.